UK-based power and propulsion group Rolls-Royce and aircraft company Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation has successfully conducted the first original-equipment manufacturer test flight of an ultralong-range business jet fully powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The test took place on the BR725-powered Gulfstream G650 twin-jet over Gulfstream’s headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, in the US.
The test has demonstrated the Rolls-Royce business jet engines’ ability to operate with 100% SAF as a full drop-in option. The test has laid the groundwork for moving this type of fuel towards certification.
Currently, SAF is only certified for blends of up to 50% together with conventional jet fuel.
The SAF that was used in the test consists of two components – hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, and synthesised aromatic kerosene, the former of which is produced from waste fat and waste plant oils by low-carbon fuel company World Energy, in California, and the latter of which is produced from waste plant-based sugars by Wisconsin-based fuel and chemicals manufacturer Virent.
Gulfstream and Rolls-Royce explain that this fully sustainable fuel in development eliminates the need for the addition of further petroleum-based components and can be used in existing jet engines and infrastructure without any modifications necessary.
The SAF has the potential to reduce net carbon dioxide lifecycle emissions by about 80% compared with conventional jet fuel, with the possibility of further reductions in future, Rolls-Royce says.